Cuff-link



A. "A, McRAE.

CUFF LINK.

APPLICATION man nic. a, 1919.

1 ,346,039, Patented July 6,l 1920.

i, "H I VH bm/M44 f Y um@ ARTHUR A. MCRAE, OF ATTLEBORO, MASSACHUSETTS;

curr-LINK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented' J lily 6, 1920.

Application led December 3, 1919. Serial No. 342,212.

To all whom t may conce/mi.'

Be it known that I, ARTHUR A. MCRAE, a citizen of the United States residino` at Attleboro, in the county of ristol, tats of massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cuff-Links, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in cuff-links or cuff-buttons and consists particularly in a separable cuff-link havingtwo opposite members adapted to be inserted through the buttonholes of the cuff and snapped into locking engagement with each other.

@ne object of the invention is to provide an improved snap-joint or clasping-means for the cuff-link whereby its parts.` are more securely fastened togetherl against accidental separation, yet whereby they are adapted for easier and more convenient eiigagenient and disengagement.

j A particular object of the improvement is to provide a jointv which will be more flexible to allow relative` play between the parts of the cuff-link when they are fastened together, while also permitting'the` parts to tilt or rock so that they may yield when the cuff ilexes without danger ofV their being pried apart.

lThe manner and means for carrying out the improvement are fully described in the following specification, illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate like parts.` ln the drawings: l

Figure 1 is a side view. of my improved cuff-link showing its parts separated;

F ig. 2, a view of the linkV showing the female member of its joint in section to illustrate the manner in which the male member engages therewith;V

Fig. 3, a plan view of the" female member of the joint, part sectional on the-line of Fig. 2 to show the spring-detent or locking-member thereof; V n

iFig. 4C, a view showing the two` parts or the link engaged and. illustrating the inanner in which they are allowed to play back and forth j without becoming unclasped; and Y Y Fig;l 5,.a. part sectional view of the link showing how the parts may rock or tilt in relationto each other without being pried apart..

Referringfirst to Fig. 1, my improved cuff-link comprises two coperating members 2 and 3 having enlarged heads or buttons l which may he ofy any desired` configuration and which are usually ornamented with engraved, chased, or enameled designs, or set with precious or imitation stones, to give the required' artistic effect. Projecting rearwardly from the back of the heads l are cylindrical Shanks or posts 5 adapted for insertion through the buttonholes of the cuff, and at the inner endsthereof are annular enlargements or flanges 6 for retaining the parts of the link in place in the buttonlioles.

The two parts of the link are generally constructed from hollow punchings, struck up in dies, and on the male member 3 is an elongated stud 7 projecting axially from` the end of the post 5 to adapt it toenter a socket in the female member 2. The stud7 is eX- teiided to a considerable distance from the end of the post 5 with its body S tapering slightly outwardly and terminating in a conical point 9. n

Referring to Fig. 2, the female member 2 of the link is constructed with a convex faceplate 10 which is held by the swaged over edge 11 of a flat disk. 12, these two parts forming the head 4 of the button as is the case with the opposite, male member 3. The shank or post 5 of the member 2 is constructed from a cup-shaped shell which is flared outwardly at its end in a flange 14; The inner end of the post 5 is provided with a contracted neck 15 which passes through a central opening in the disk 12 with itsedge swaged over the rim thereof to unite the two parts with a permanent joint.

Set into the flaring end of the post 5 is a cylindrical socket-member 16 which is provided with an outwardlyflared flange 17 surrounded by a curled over rim 18. The socket-member 16 serves as a backing and retainer for a wire spring 20 which acts as the yielding-detent for the coupling or joint between the two parts of the link. Referring particularly to F ig. 3, the spring 2() is formed with an arcuate portion 21, seated within the rim 18 of the socket-member 1G, and provided with two parallel, spacedapart legs 22 whichengage the oppositeside of the rim 18 at their ends. Thelegs 22 are joined to the arcuate portion 21 of. the spring 2O by reversely bent, loops 23, whereby to provide the necessary resiliency to adapt the legs to spring apartwhen the stud 7 of the male member of the link is inserted between them.l

Referring again to Fig. 2, the spring 20 is held in place in the socket-member 16 by means of a cap Q/l having its outer rim swaged over the rim of the socket-member and the edge of the flange la on the post 5 to unite these latter vparts together. The cap 9A is formed with a central opening or orifice 25 forreceiving the stud?v on the male member 3, and the face of the cap surrounding the opening is preferably concaved to provide an easy ventrance for the stud.

Having now described the structure of my, improved cuff-link in detail its method of operation will next be explained: The present type of cuff-link is intendedfor use particularly with double thickness cuffs of the so-ca'lled French style used Von both ladies and gentlemens garments. The two members 2 and 3] are insertedseparately through the double buttonholes in the 'opposite sides of the cuffs C, indicated-by dash lines in F ig. and are then fastened together in the following manner. @ne member is held by the finger and the other pushed against it, as with the thumb, to bring the studi' into register with the opening 25, see Fig. 2. A slight pressureof the lingers against the heads Ll-will then cause the pointed end of the'stud 7 to spread the legs 22 of the spring 20 apart to allow the stud to enter the socket in the member 2 as shown inV F After the two parts of the link have been snapped together in this manner the pressure of the spring legs 2Q against the sides of the tapered stud 'l' will prevent their separation until they are forcibly pulledapart. The parts of the link may thus be'easily united to hold the sides of the cuff'together while beine` readily dis-v connected to unfasten the cuff.

This type of link is much more convenient to fasten than where the parts of the button are connectedby a hook andring or snap-link arrangement, and the cuff is more readily releasedthan with a permanently oined button where the head must be pushed through the buttonhole.. It will therefore be seen that cuff-links of the present type are much more convenient and desirable than previous forms of buttons, since the 'wearer may easily unfasten his cuffsl to roll up his sleeves.V Likewise -on ladies Garments where the cuffs are too small to be slipped on over the hands they may be easily unfastened without removing the links from the buttonholes.

While myimproved button is of this sepa- Vr'able type to obtain the advantages above mentioned l do not rely upon this feature fornovelty, as 1 am aware that separable,

snap-jointed cuff-links are not new in thel art. Heretofore this type of cuff-link has been open to serious objections, however, and

it is to avoid these objectionable features l been found entirely practicable'for this pur-V pose. Considerable pressure is necessary to snap the ball into the socket, and to release the joint it requires a very strong pull or else a prying action on the opposite parts of the link. perience that when the cuff flexes, as in resting the wrist against an object, or under the active movement of the hands and arms, the ball-and-socket joint is very aptto be pried apart allowing the two members of the link to become released. One object of the present improvement is, therefore, topprovide for kan easier engagement and disengagement at the joint orV coupling of the link Vwhile avoiding the danger of accidental separation ofthe parts; and a further and most important feature of the improvement is to adapt the parts of the button to rock or play under normal stresses without causing their disconnectionj Y Referring particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, it will be noted that the conicalpoint on the stud of the male member 3 of the link provides fora wedging action in forcing the sides of the -spring 2O apart so that the stud may be very easily entered into its socket in the member 2. Only a very slight pressure is therefore Vrequired to snap the parts of the link together; and likewise, the tapered shank 8 of the stud acts as a wedge to'provide for an easy release of the stud from its socket.V 1t is to be particularly noted, y however, that the shank of the stud 7 is elongated to aV considerable degree and after it has been insertedinto its-socket it may slide back and'forth therein vto a considerable extent, without releasing it from its detent or holding-means. It will also be observed fromlfigsl and 5 that there is a considerable clearance space between the sides of the stud and the wallsV ofthe socket which surrounds it `and this feature, taken in connection with the `eXtreme length of the stud, provides for a rocking motion between the two parts of the link as graphicallyV illustrated in F ig. 5. Stated briefly, the long stud and its enlarged socket provide for a maximum play between the two lparts of the link when they are fastened together, ,soV that they may give and takelongitudinally as shown in Fig. 3, or may rock on a central pivot in the manner of a universal joint, as indicated in Fig. 5. This improved form of joint between the two members of the link therefore permits the the parts to yield and Vgive under the bending or flexing'of the cuff, and also permits a swiveling action without causingl its members to 'fly apart when the link strikes lt has also been4 a common ex- A against any object. My improved cuff-link is therefore much more securely held in the cuffs without danger of accidental unclasping of its parts, while also being easier and more convenient to fasten and unfasten when required.

My improvement depends on certain features of construction and arrangement which provide for a flexible joint between if the parts of the link as set forth in the following specification, and what I claim as novel and wish to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. In a separable cuff-link, the combination with a button-member having a post for insertion through the buttonhole of the cull and a tapered stud projecting therefrom said stud having an extended neck of a length several times its diameter with a conical point at its end, of a second buttonmember having a post provided with an enlarged socket at its end adapted to receive the stud on the first member with a clearance around its sides, and a spring-detent of the cuff and an elongated prong-like stud formed with an elongated neck and a tapered enlargement at its end, of a second button-member having a flanged post provided With a central socket of greater diameter than that of the stud to adapt it to receive the latter with a clearance around its sides, and a detent provided with spacedapart spring-members projecting across the entrance to the socket to adapt them to clasp the sides of the post while allowing it to play back and forth in the socket to a considerable extent to permit the two members to rock and tilt in relation to each other without becoming unclasped.

3. In a separable cuff-link, the combination with a button-member formed with a head having a hollow cylindrical post attached thereto and provided with an elongated tapered stnd projecting therefrom with a conical enlargement at its end, of a second button-member formed with a head and a hollow cylindrical post flanged outwardly at its end, a cuplike socket-member held within the post and provided with a flange at its end surrounded by an annular rim, an arcuate spring seated within the rim of the flange on the socket-member and provided with parallel spaced-apart legs extending across the socket, and a cap fitted across the end of the socket-member with its rim swaged over the edge of the flange on the post to secure the parts together, said cap provided with a central orifice to allow the post on the first member to be inserted into the socket to be clasped by the legs of the spring.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ARTHUR A. MORAE. 

